https://www.scmp.com/rss/519232/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters On the tourist-packed ⁠Rock of Gibraltar, one of the most common sights is monkeys ⁠begging for food – and sometimes stealing sweet and salty snacks from unsuspecting visitors. Scientists now have documented an unusual behaviour among these macaques that may help them ward off a bellyache from all this junk food. Researchers said the monkeys have been observed eating soil more frequently, a behaviour they said may help the macaques avoid stomach upset from consuming human snacks. They found that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351054/gibraltars-monkeys-may-be-eating-soil-cope-junk-food-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3351054/gibraltars-monkeys-may-be-eating-soil-cope-junk-food-tourists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:19:53 +0000 Now that Scotland manager Steve Clarke has masterminded back-to-back European Championship appearances for his country for the first time since 1996, he will aim to go one step further and take them into the knockout stages for the first time. Scotland kick off Euro 2024 against hosts Germany on June 14 before playing Switzerland and then Hungary in Group A. The Scots returned to the big stage of international football at the previous Euros, having not appeared at a tournament since the 1998... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3265515/euro-2024-scotland-aim-knockout-phase-under-steve-clarke-second-appearance-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3265515/euro-2024-scotland-aim-knockout-phase-under-steve-clarke-second-appearance-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 18:00:09 +0000 Matt Haldane,Ben Jiang Matt Haldane,Ben Jiang The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has granted initial approval to 11 cryptocurrency exchanges to continue operating in the city, in the first step towards granting the first virtual asset trading platform (VATP) licences since 2022. Crypto.com, which was founded in Hong Kong and now operates out of Singapore, is the largest of the exchanges “deemed to be licensed”. The city currently has just two exchanges approved to serve retail customers, with HashKey being the last to get a... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3265219/11-crypto-exchanges-hong-kong-deemed-be-licensed-paving-way-first-approvals-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3265219/11-crypto-exchanges-hong-kong-deemed-be-licensed-paving-way-first-approvals-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Jun 2024 11:38:47 +0000 Superyachts have become the go-to status symbol for the ultra wealthy, providing highly secluded leisure and networking sites. They are – even more so than property – the single most expensive asset you can own. While many tech billionaires have bought yachts, the richest of the rich, like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, have gone even bigger. Their boats are virtual palaces at sea, decked out with amenities like gyms, spas, pools, nightclubs and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3263975/9-largest-yachts-owned-tech-billionaires-ranked-jeff-bezos-kuro-where-he-got-engaged-lauren-sanchez?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3263975/9-largest-yachts-owned-tech-billionaires-ranked-jeff-bezos-kuro-where-he-got-engaged-lauren-sanchez?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2024 10:00:19 +0000 An unknown number of orcas have sunk a sailing yacht after ramming it in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain’s maritime rescue service said, a new attack in what has become a trend in the past four years. The vessel Alboran Cognac, which measured 15 metres (49 feet) in length and carried two people, encountered the highly social apex predators, also known as killer whales, at 9am local time on Sunday, the service said on Monday. The passengers reported feeling sudden blows to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3262597/killer-whales-sink-sailing-yacht-strait-gibraltar-new-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3262597/killer-whales-sink-sailing-yacht-strait-gibraltar-new-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 05:47:00 +0000 Mark Zuckerberg is one of the richest people in the world, with an estimated net worth of more than US$180 billion, according to Forbes. Development is continuing on his sprawling Hawaii compound, he owns a range of sports cars – and he recently dropped a whopping sum on a superyacht. Here’s everything we know about the vessel so far. How much did Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht cost? The Meta CEO reportedly shelled out a cool US$300 million for his latest toy. The ship – which Zuck christened... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3259027/mark-zuckerbergs-new-us300-million-superyacht-launchpad-facebook-boss-dropped-millions-his-new-toy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3259027/mark-zuckerbergs-new-us300-million-superyacht-launchpad-facebook-boss-dropped-millions-his-new-toy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Apr 2024 21:00:16 +0000 Isuru Alagiyawanna, 32, arrived in Yemen just six months ago in search of a better life away from the debilitating economic crisis of his native Sri Lanka. But as Colombo plans to join the US-led operations against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, he fears “being caught in the crossfire”. Early this month, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the country had decided to send a navy vessel to join the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian, aimed at securing commercial shipping... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3248829/sri-lankans-yemen-fear-being-caught-crossfire-colombo-plans-join-us-led-attacks-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3248829/sri-lankans-yemen-fear-being-caught-crossfire-colombo-plans-join-us-led-attacks-houthis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jan 2024 01:00:25 +0000 The latest escalation in violence in the Red Sea between US-backed forces and Houthi militants may not affect oil supply to import-dependent Asia, but could push the price of the commodity higher. Oil prices jumped more than 2 per cent last week, hitting the highest intraday level this year after American and British forces launched dozens of air strikes against Houthi militants in retaliation for attacks on Red Sea shipping that the Iran-backed fighters say is a response to the war in Gaza. On... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3248631/red-sea-risks-could-push-oil-prices-asia-feels-pinch-cargo-delays-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3248631/red-sea-risks-could-push-oil-prices-asia-feels-pinch-cargo-delays-rising-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2024 10:30:12 +0000 Spiralling attacks on merchant ships by Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen have prompted widespread trade disruption with some of the world’s biggest vessel owners evaluating whether it’s safe to send crews through the Red Sea. Two of the world’s largest container shipping lines said on Friday that they were pausing transits through the Red Sea after their vessels were attacked. Two oil tanker companies have now said they are insisting on a clause in charters that will allow them to send... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245297/israel-gaza-war-houthi-attacks-push-shipping-giants-pause-red-sea-voyages?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245297/israel-gaza-war-houthi-attacks-push-shipping-giants-pause-red-sea-voyages?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:55:08 +0000 Israel pressed its offensive in the Gaza Strip on Friday after telling key backer the United States that the war to crush Hamas will last “more than several months”. The war began after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Vowing to destroy Hamas and bring home an estimated 240 hostages taken by militants into Gaza, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has left swathes of the besieged... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245119/us-wants-israel-gaza-war-end-soon-possible-discusses-shift-low-intensity-ops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3245119/us-wants-israel-gaza-war-end-soon-possible-discusses-shift-low-intensity-ops?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Dec 2023 19:57:27 +0000 Just outside the Moroccan city of Tangier, a Chinese-backed manufacturing and technology hub is finally taking shape after six years of delays. The Mohammed VI Tangier Science and Technology City lies just 27km (16.8 miles) from the southern tip of the Spanish coast across the Strait of Gibraltar, strategically positioned where Africa faces Europe at the intersection of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. First proposed in 2016 when Morocco’s King Mohammed VI met Chinese President Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241060/china-sets-sights-morocco-north-african-nation-becomes-centre-ev-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3241060/china-sets-sights-morocco-north-african-nation-becomes-centre-ev-revolution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 08:00:14 +0000 Can we still enjoy bluefin tuna sustainably and in good conscience? Absolutely, according to Hong Kong-based Spanish food importer Borja Sanchez. In fact, we should try to eat more of it from the Mediterranean Sea to save other fish stocks, he says. A recent summary report by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a body that regulates fishing of the animal, noted “positive signs” for Atlantic bluefin tuna. It said catch-size limits and catch reductions had... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3237687/can-we-eat-bluefin-tuna-responsibly-yes-and-eat-more-if-its-europe-hong-kong-importer-says-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3237687/can-we-eat-bluefin-tuna-responsibly-yes-and-eat-more-if-its-europe-hong-kong-importer-says-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2023 05:15:19 +0000 Months of planning, years of training and a gruelling 12 hours in the ocean fighting waves, cold water and your own desire to stop are just some of the reasons most of us will never swim the English Channel. But for 48-year-old Edie Hu swimming from England to France is something that can be done on a whim. “This is not normally something that people do spontaneously, people sign up years in advance and then they train and train,” the amateur swimmer told the Post. “I was visiting my friend in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3236320/meet-hong-kong-art-dealer-who-conquered-swimmings-open-water-triple-crown-and-has-worlds-oceans-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3236320/meet-hong-kong-art-dealer-who-conquered-swimmings-open-water-triple-crown-and-has-worlds-oceans-her?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Sep 2023 00:30:09 +0000 Jeff Bezos made headlines in 2019 for a rare appearance partying at sea on David Geffen’s yacht, the Rising Sun, with ex-Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein and model Karlie Kloss. Four years later, Bezos is no longer Amazon’s CEO, and he’s spent the last few months earning a new title: king of the high seas. As 2023’s yacht season comes to a close, it’s clear that Bezos’ brand new US$500 million superyacht won the summer. Many of the world’s rich and famous have shied away from being spotted... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3235453/which-billionaires-luxury-yacht-trip-won-summer-jeff-bezos-and-lauren-sanchezs-showy-adventures-koru?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/celebrities/article/3235453/which-billionaires-luxury-yacht-trip-won-summer-jeff-bezos-and-lauren-sanchezs-showy-adventures-koru?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:00:12 +0000 A serendipitous meeting more than 10 years ago between a telecoms titan and a former Vietnamese refugee at Hong Kong’s exclusive Causeway Bay yacht club sowed the seeds for an insurance company that today covers against risks in seven countries along the ancient Silk Road. Richard Li Tzar-kai, the chairman of Hong Kong’s telecoms group PCCW and the younger son of the city’s wealthiest man, Li Ka-shing, said at the time that he wanted to marry the “two loves” – the internet and e-commerce, as... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3230807/how-fwd-married-two-richard-lis-loves-create-hong-kongs-only-home-grown-pan-asian-insurer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3230807/how-fwd-married-two-richard-lis-loves-create-hong-kongs-only-home-grown-pan-asian-insurer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:30:13 +0000 The US military is considering putting armed personnel on commercial ships travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, in what would be an unheard of action aimed at stopping Iran from seizing and harassing civilian vessels, five American officials said on Thursday. Since 2019, Iran has seized a series of ships in the strait, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, as part of its efforts to pressure the West over negotiations regarding its collapsed nuclear deal with world powers. Putting US troops... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3229932/us-may-put-armed-troops-commercial-ships-stop-iran-seizures-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3229932/us-may-put-armed-troops-commercial-ships-stop-iran-seizures-strait-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:08:07 +0000 James Hayes, the former senior government administrator whose wide-ranging scholarship over numerous aspects of Hong Kong history, culture and society – in particular his beloved New Territories – closely influenced generations of local historians, recently died in Sydney, Australia, aged 92. Born in Scotland in 1930, Hayes first visited the colony briefly in 1953, as a young British Army officer en route to the Korean war. After national service there and in Gibraltar, and completion of a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3227846/he-showed-others-how-understand-what-hong-kong-had-experienced-memories-prolific-historian-and-civil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3227846/he-showed-others-how-understand-what-hong-kong-had-experienced-memories-prolific-historian-and-civil?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Jul 2023 23:45:11 +0000 A pod of killer whales repeatedly rammed a yacht in the Strait of Gibraltar this week, damaging it enough to require Spanish rescuers to come to the aid of its four crew members. It was the latest episode in a perplexing trend in the behaviour of orcas populating the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula that has left researchers searching for a cause. Spain’s Maritime Rescue service said that killer whales repeatedly ran into the Mustique, a 20-metre (65-foot) vessel sailing under a UK flag,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3222011/killer-whales-damage-boats-spanish-portuguese-waters-puzzling-new-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3222011/killer-whales-damage-boats-spanish-portuguese-waters-puzzling-new-behaviour?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 May 2023 22:58:32 +0000 FWD Group Holdings, the Hong Kong-based insurer backed by tycoon Richard Li Tzar-kai, on Monday afternoon refiled its application to list on the city’s stock exchange, having postponed its planned listing in May last year due to ongoing market volatility. Proceeds from the initial public offering (IPO) will be used to “support growth” and the “enhancement of our digital capabilities and strategy”, FWD said in its prospectus. The insurer shelved its plan to list in New York in 2021 amid ongoing... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3213392/richard-li-controlled-insurer-fwd-refiles-hong-kong-ipo-application?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3213392/richard-li-controlled-insurer-fwd-refiles-hong-kong-ipo-application?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Mar 2023 12:15:31 +0000 FWD Group Holdings, the pan-Asian insurance company owned by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li Tzar-kai, has agreed to buy a majority stake in Gibraltar BSN Life, a move that allows it to tap into the Southeast Asian market’s growth potential ahead of FWD’s planned initial public offering. FWD, along with a group of investors, will buy a 70 per cent stake in Gibraltar BSN from a subsidiary of New York-listed Prudential Financial, according to a statement on Monday. The transaction will allow FWD... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3210826/fwd-buy-majority-stake-malaysian-life-insurer-gibraltar-bsn-ahead-planned-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3210826/fwd-buy-majority-stake-malaysian-life-insurer-gibraltar-bsn-ahead-planned-hong-kong-ipo?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Feb 2023 07:47:22 +0000 We know two new things about billionaire Jeff Bezos’ megayacht Koru. One is that the support vessel of the Koru superyacht is called Abeona, after the Roman goddess who presided over the departure of travellers, per Boat International. Second, the same 250ft support ship by Damen Yachting, the largest custom-built shadow yacht, was delivered to the tycoon, reported Superyacht Times. Built at the shipyard in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, YS 7512, as it was initially known, completed successful... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3209794/inside-jeff-bezos-shiny-new-us500-million-koru-megayacht-and-gigantic-abeona-support-vessel-amazon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3209794/inside-jeff-bezos-shiny-new-us500-million-koru-megayacht-and-gigantic-abeona-support-vessel-amazon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:20:14 +0000 International borders are often in areas of outstanding beauty, which is hardly surprising when you consider how many are defined by natural features. Rivers make up 23 per cent of all frontiers and snow-capped mountain ranges are another effective way of separating nation states. Deserts also play a demarcating role, as do lakes and forests. A handful of countries are divided by waterfalls (rivers again, admittedly), others by man-made structures such as airport runways and walls, although, the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3209744/worlds-most-instagrammable-border-crossings-only-zip-line-crosses-frontier-and-countries-divided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3209744/worlds-most-instagrammable-border-crossings-only-zip-line-crosses-frontier-and-countries-divided?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2023 11:15:10 +0000 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sacked Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi after an ethics inquiry into the handling of his tax affairs found a “serious breach” of the rules guiding ministers. Zahawi, who was appointed to the role by the prime minister last October, had been facing calls to stand aside after Sunak ordered the inquiry into the former chancellor’s taxes. The Tory chairman had faced damaging reports that he had settled an estimated 4.8-million-pound bill... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3208372/british-pm-sunak-fires-party-chairman-zahawi-over-us6million-tax-affairs-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3208372/british-pm-sunak-fires-party-chairman-zahawi-over-us6million-tax-affairs-row?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:52:57 +0000 British Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi’s position is “untenable”, opposition Labour MPs said after reports that he paid a penalty as part of a multimillion-pound tax settlement. The former chancellor, who attends Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet, has been under pressure since it was reported that he paid HM Revenue & Customs a seven-figure sum to end a dispute. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab defended his colleague, saying Zahawi “has been very clear that he’s paid all the tax that he’s owed”... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3207686/former-uk-chancellor-nadhim-zahawis-position-untenable-after-tax-dispute-says-labour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3207686/former-uk-chancellor-nadhim-zahawis-position-untenable-after-tax-dispute-says-labour?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:32:20 +0000 A Ukrainian billionaire and former politician suspected of embezzling tens of millions of dollars was ordered freed from French custody on US$1 million bail on Thursday, after he called the Ukrainian case against him politically driven and declared he wants to fight Russians who invaded his country. Mining magnate Kostiantyn Zhevago, 48, was arrested in the ski resort of Courchevel in the French Alps last week based on an international warrant issued by Ukraine. “It’s really a political thing. I... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3205761/french-court-frees-ukrainian-mining-boss-suspected-embezzlement-us1-million-bail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3205761/french-court-frees-ukrainian-mining-boss-suspected-embezzlement-us1-million-bail?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jan 2023 18:12:08 +0000 Swiss bank documents wanted by a UK investigation into the late Uzbek ruler Islam Karimov’s eldest daughter can be transferred to Britain, Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court decided in a ruling released on Wednesday. The court dismissed a challenge by a company which opposed transferring the papers relating to accounts with banks in Geneva and Zurich, claiming they would not be of any use to the money-laundering investigation launched by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office relating to Gulnara... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3204867/swiss-court-helps-uk-criminal-investigation-late-uzbek-rulers-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3204867/swiss-court-helps-uk-criminal-investigation-late-uzbek-rulers-daughter?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 17:43:14 +0000 Moroccans flew into Qatar for their team’s knockout World Cup match against Spain on Tuesday as fans already in the country tried desperately to get their hands on tickets. The last Arab and African side left in World Cup, Morocco has been willed on by some of the most impassioned fans at the tournament, many of whom live and work in Qatar and are hoping to see their team advance to its first quarter final. But Morocco’s matches have also been testing for organisers. There was pushing and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3202311/fifa-world-cup-2022-morocco-fans-scramble-tickets-spain-match?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3202311/fifa-world-cup-2022-morocco-fans-scramble-tickets-spain-match?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Dec 2022 15:16:23 +0000 On October 8, an explosion crippled the Crimean Bridge, which connects the Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland. The 18-kilometre (11-mile) bridge, which the Russians built after their 2014 annexation of Crimea, was completed in 2019 and supposedly a personal prestige project for Russian president Vladimir Putin. To the Ukrainians, however, the bridge is a hated symbol of Russia’s occupation of Crimea. The explosion at dawn cut off road and rail access into the peninsula from Russia, and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3196751/ukraine-war-and-world-war-ii-burning-bridges-was-symbolic-act-defiance-ancient-china-destroying-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3196751/ukraine-war-and-world-war-ii-burning-bridges-was-symbolic-act-defiance-ancient-china-destroying-one?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 01:15:10 +0000 A Member of Parliament from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party resigned on Friday after an independent panel found he had made unwanted sexual advances towards a woman on his staff. The resignation of Chris Matheson, who admitted a “minor breach” in conduct, will trigger a by-election in the city of Chester in northwest England to replace him. Matheson’s stepping down comes against a backdrop of political turmoil after the resignation of Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss. Matheson... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3196844/uk-labour-party-mp-resigns-over-sexual-misconduct-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3196844/uk-labour-party-mp-resigns-over-sexual-misconduct-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:45:52 +0000 Just like Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls that keep surprising you with their contents, Russian superyachts are also proving to be veritable treasure troves thanks to their seemingly endless stash of on-board luxuries. Steel billionaire Dmitrievich Pumpyansky’s confiscated US$75 million Axioma yacht is the perfect example. The superyacht was impounded in Gibraltar by authorities back in March, when US bank J.P. Morgan said Pumpyansky had reneged on the terms of a US$20 million loan. It then... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3190278/inside-russian-billionaires-seized-superyachts-axioma-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3190278/inside-russian-billionaires-seized-superyachts-axioma-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Aug 2022 06:46:26 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification. Commenting on the dispute over Taiwan, your correspondent notes that China and the West lack understanding of each other’s strategic considerations (“China’s conciliatory white paper on Taiwan... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3189320/us-and-china-must-explore-better-solutions-taiwan-stand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3189320/us-and-china-must-explore-better-solutions-taiwan-stand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Aug 2022 03:30:23 +0000 Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be on a truly royal scale, featuring millions of participants around Britain and climaxing in a TV spectacle expected to be watched by a billion worldwide. Here is a rundown of the four days of festivities that start Thursday to commemorate the 70-year reign of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch: Around 1,500 soldiers, 400 army musicians and 250 horses will take part in the traditional “Trooping the Colour” parade Thursday, which returns... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180094/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-rundown-four-days-festivities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3180094/queen-elizabeths-platinum-jubilee-rundown-four-days-festivities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2022 02:19:34 +0000 Hong Kong’s Andy Lee Chun-wai has clinched a place on the World Snooker Tour after two years out of action in which he considered quitting – but he fears funding cuts will leave his hard-won spot almost worthless. The 41-year-old earned a tour card for the next two years via the Q School event on Saturday, beating 2020 World Championship quarter-finalist Kurt Maflin along the way. But Lee’s achievement in Sheffield was bittersweet, with his livelihood under threat because of Hong Kong government... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3178858/world-snooker-tour-spot-hong-kongs-andy-lee-will-it-soon-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3178858/world-snooker-tour-spot-hong-kongs-andy-lee-will-it-soon-be?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 May 2022 13:35:26 +0000 Lo Ho-sum made a name for himself by reaching the final of the World Pool Masters on Sunday, and he hopes it can help secure a future for Hong Kong’s cue sports players. Relatively unknown on the world stage, the Hongkonger had been handed a wild-card place in the Masters in Gibraltar and made the opportunity count, announcing himself with a string of spectacular victories. Newly crowned world nine-ball champion Shane Van Boening was among those Lo beat as he reached the final, where he lost to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3177094/world-pool-masters-lo-ho-sum-stuns-shane-van-boening-now-he-wants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3177094/world-pool-masters-lo-ho-sum-stuns-shane-van-boening-now-he-wants?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2022 13:20:25 +0000 From its urban beginnings in 1841 up to the 1997 handover, Hong Kong had a permanent British garrison. Until the last “accompanied” postings ended in late 1994, when most residential quarters were mothballed, married servicemen were generally posted here with their dependents. From Shek Kong to Stanley, a complex supporting infrastructure of flats and bungalows – size and location varied, according to service rank – schools, clinics, sporting and other recreational facilities, along with NAAFI... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3175979/how-hong-kongs-unattached-british-servicemen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3175979/how-hong-kongs-unattached-british-servicemen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 May 2022 00:45:11 +0000 Lo Ho-sum will be the first Hong Kong pool player awarded a wild-card entry to next month’s World Pool Masters, but says the threat of a funding cut may see him walk away from the sport for good. Billiards and snooker are among the Hong Kong Sports Institute’s 20 designated Tier A sports, entitling them to world-class facilities at its Fo Tan campus, as well as reasonable financial support for elite athletes. The sport, however, is facing demotion to Tier B status having been dropped by the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3175056/hong-kong-pool-player-lo-ho-sum-says-funding-cut-may-end-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3175056/hong-kong-pool-player-lo-ho-sum-says-funding-cut-may-end-his?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Apr 2022 10:04:22 +0000 After a two-year absence from the professional circuit, Hong Kong snooker star Marco Fu Ka-chun is back with a bang ahead of his World Championship qualifiers in Sheffield next week. Fu made a rare 149 break during a practice match on Tuesday against world No 39 Noppon Saengkham of Thailand, at the Ding Junhui Snooker Academy. The achievement sets Fu up nicely for the qualifiers, which start on Tuesday, and will feature two of Hong Kong’s best players. Fu and Ng On-yee, the women’s world No 2,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3172484/hong-kong-snooker-star-marco-fu-warms-world-championships-rare-149?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3172484/hong-kong-snooker-star-marco-fu-warms-world-championships-rare-149?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Mar 2022 01:31:54 +0000 Britain on Tuesday detained a Russian-owned, US$50-million superyacht boasting a freshwater swimming pool, in what it called a “warning” to Moscow of the consequences for invading Ukraine. The impounding of Phi, the first superyacht ever to be held in British waters, comes after the UK sanctioned hundreds of Russian individuals and entities in recent weeks over the Kremlin’s war. Authorities held the vessel, which was docked at Canary Wharf in London, after the “combating kleptocracy” unit of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3172313/ukraine-war-uk-detains-russian-owned-superyacht?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3172313/ukraine-war-uk-detains-russian-owned-superyacht?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:05:14 +0000 Snooker star Ng On-yee is expecting her second win on the mixed gender world professional tour at the Gibraltar Open on Friday, boosted by the thought of reduced quarantine time when she returns to Hong Kong next month. The 31-year old Ng returned to England in February, with five ranking tournaments on hand to play until April, was supposed to go through a lengthy “wash out” and mandatory quarantine process when back to the city next month. “I am happy to hear about the lifting of the flight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3171741/snooker-star-ng-yee-hunts-second-major-win-gibraltar-open-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3171741/snooker-star-ng-yee-hunts-second-major-win-gibraltar-open-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Mar 2022 12:15:11 +0000 News that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth had tested positive for Covid-19 drew shock, concern and messages of goodwill from across the country, with politicians and the public willing the 95-year-old to recover. On a wet and blustery day on Sunday, a few sightseers gathered at the gates of Windsor Castle where the queen is receiving medical treatment for mild symptoms. Others went online to express support and message boards in the London Underground urged the monarch to “take it easy”. Many said... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3167769/messages-pour-after-queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3167769/messages-pour-after-queen-elizabeth-tests-positive-covid-19?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Feb 2022 02:36:34 +0000 Russia has stepped up preparations for an all-out invasion of Ukraine, but it is not clear if Moscow has decided to take such a step, US officials have said citing intelligence assessments. Russia has assembled 110,000 troops along its border with Ukraine but US intelligence had not determined if President Vladimir Putin has actually decided to invade, according to officials who in recent days held briefings with members of Congress and European allies. The officials warned lawmakers that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3166000/us-says-russia-preparing-full-scale-invasion-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3166000/us-says-russia-preparing-full-scale-invasion-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Feb 2022 06:35:25 +0000 I was born in 1953 in Branscombe, a small village in Devon (in southwest England), and we lived a couple of miles outside the village. Although I was born eight years after the second world war, we still had rationing, so it was fairly austere. My father was a farm labourer, my mother worked for the market garden and I had a younger brother and sister. It was a tremendous place to grow up, we had the beach in the summer and shooting in the winter, but I knew there were no jobs unless I wanted to... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3165424/ship-captain-who-rescued-crashed-plane-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3165424/ship-captain-who-rescued-crashed-plane-hong-kongs-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Feb 2022 05:15:09 +0000